1983 in country music

Events

• March — In a span of two days, two major cable networks signed on the air. Country Music Television went on-the-air March 5, while The Nashville Network came on two days later on March 7. CMT was chiefly video-oriented, while TNN offered more feature-oriented programming.

  Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

Other top albums

On television

Regular series

• Hee Haw
• That Nashville Music

  Specials

Births

• January 29 — Eric Paslay, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• March 10 — Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol winner, boosting her career.
• June 30 — Grace Potter, rock singer who crossed-over to country with duets with Kenny Chesney.
• June 30 — Cole Swindell, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• July 2 — Michelle Branch, member of The Wreckers.
• July 12 — Kimberly Perry, lead singer of The Band Perry.
• October 3 — Drake White, singer known for his single Livin' the Dream.
• November 10 — Miranda Lambert, member of Pistol Annies.
• December 12 — Katrina Elam, singer-songwriter of the 2000s.
• December 29 — Jessica Andrews, popular teen singer of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

  Deaths

• April 6 — Cliff Carlisle, 79, country yodeler of the 1930s and steel guitar pioneer.
• October 20 — Merle Travis, 65, singer and composer of classic songs such as "Sixteen Tons", "Dark as a Dungeon", "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" and "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette."

  Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

• Little Jimmy Dickens

  Major awards

Grammy Awards

• Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "A Little Good News", Anne Murray
• Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "I.O.U.", – Lee Greenwood
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "The Closer You Get", Alabama
• Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Fireball", New South
• Best Country Song — "Stranger in My House," Mike Reid

  Juno Awards

• Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Eddie Eastman
• Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
• Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers

  Academy of Country Music

• Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
• Song of the Year — "The Wind Beneath My Wings", Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
• Single of the Year — "Islands in the Stream", Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
• Album of the Year — The Closer You Get…, Alabama
• Top Male Vocalist — Lee Greenwood
• Top Female Vocalist — Janie Fricke
• Top Vocal Duo — Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• Top Vocal Group — Alabama
• Top New Male Vocalist — Jim Glaser
• Top New Female Vocalist — Gus Hardin

  Canadian Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year — Family Brown
• Male Artist of the Year — Dick Damron
• Female Artist of the Year — Marie Bottrell
• Group of the Year — Family Brown
• SOCAN Song of the Year — "Raised on Country Music", Family Brown
• Single of the Year — "Raised on Country Music", Family Brown
• Album of the Year — Raised on Country Music, Family Brown
• Vista Rising Star Award — Kelita Haverland
• Duo of the Year — Donna & LeRoy Anderson

  Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
• Song of the Year — "Always on My Mind", Johnny Christopher, Wayne Carson Thompson and Mark James
• Single of the Year — "Swingin'", John Anderson
• Album of the Year — The Closer You Get…, Alabama
• Male Vocalist of the Year — Lee Greenwood
• Female Vocalist of the Year — Janie Fricke
• Vocal Duo of the Year — Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
• Vocal Group of the Year — Alabama
• Horizon Award — John Anderson
• Instrumentalist of the Year — Chet Atkins
• Instrumental Group of the Year — Ricky Skaggs Band